The blade strikes again – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s official X/Twitter account revealed Thursday that Koyoharu Gotouge’s demon-hunting epic has carved past 200 million copies in worldwide circulation (including digital). Japan accounts for 164 million of these, while international fans snap up 56 million, forging a staggering total of 220 million copies across the planet.

The manga previously slashed through 150 million copies in February 2021 – a meteoric 43-fold surge since its anime debut in April 2019 transformed it into a cultural hurricane.

Gotouge first unleashed the manga in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in February 2016 before concluding the blood-soaked saga in May 2020. Shueisha dropped the 23rd and final volume in December 2020, with Viz Media handling English localization.

The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy’s first film explodes onto 443 Japanese screens (a franchise high) on Friday, including IMAX formats. Aniplex plans an unprecedented 150+ country rollout worldwide, eclipsing their prior 145-territory record.

North American fans mark September 12 when Crunchyroll, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Aniplex bring the film to theaters (including premium large formats) with both subbed and dubbed options.

The original anime stormed screens in April 2019, with Aniplex of America securing streaming rights for Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation before Toonami’s October 2019 broadcast debut.

The franchise timeline continues:

• October 2021: Mugen Train Arc TV adaptation (7 episodes)
• December 2021: Entertainment District Arc premieres with one-hour special
• April 2023: Swordsmith Village Arc debuts with 11 episodes
• May 2024: Hashira Training Arc begins with extended premiere
• June 2024: Hashira Training concludes with supersized finale

Each new chapter keeps the fire burning – with Crunchyroll streaming all recent arcs as they air.

News source: Animenewsnetwork.com